Tuesday, August 30, 2016

Miracles of Miracles

Hola Todos!





This week has been such a blessing! I feel so blessed to be a misisonary and to be a small part of this great work! I have given so many prayers of gratitude this week.

First of all I have a new companion! Her name is Hermana Gòmez from Peru and is so sweet. Actually we are in a trio right now. Until Hermana Ovalle leaves today. I am actually in tears to have her leave. She has become a dear dear friend and helped me so much. It is probably a good thing that we only have 4 weeks together because we´re basically sisters. She flies to the United States today. 

This week we had a beautiful miracle of Matias. The other day we found a few ward members from Valpo out in the street and I freaked out. We were talking and they were visiting their daughter here. Their daughter has a 9 year old son who hasnt been baptized. That is Matias. He is a literal angel and reminds me SO much of my brother Seth when he was that age. It is actually creepy how much he is like Seth. And he is just great! We put a baptismal date for the 11 of September and he came to church! The ward was great with him and it has just been miraculous.

Also, remember Jacqueline from last week? This week we invited her to be baptised and she said that that was a great responsibility and that if she makes the decision it will be forever. She is praying about it. She is literal gold and I feel so priviledged to be her missionary. She tells us we seem like perfect people and she can never be like us. Um. . .I AM NOT PERFECT! It becomes more and more evident daily.

Also Family Araya Oryan has been great. Javiera, the 13 year old didnt want anything to do with us the last time. But the 2nd time watched the Jospeh Smith movie with us and she was like ¨Hey! Just like you guys said!¨And we looked at her like, ¨When were you listening?¨So she really does have interest and really wants to pray to know that this is true. I love their family so much!

The mission is just basically the best. And I fell so priviledged to be a missionary. Yes, it is hard. And I am tired. But it is wonderful! I know that Heavenly Father puts EVERY person in our path that needs to be there. That has been very evident this week. 

I love you all dearly! Thank you for your prayers! Yáll are in mine. 
Hermana Leah Kelson

leah.kjeldsen@myldsmail.net

Hermana Leah Kelson
4 Norte 1112 Casilla 631 
Viña del Mar, Chile

Monday, August 22, 2016

Blustery Week

Hola queridas personas!






What a windy week! And I mean that spiritually and physically! :) This week we saw many miracles and were discouraged at many moments as well. :)

Monday we were frustrated after no one came to church last Sunday and set a goal to just work real hard. And we found a miracle! Sometimes miracles come in the form of bodily functions. I had to go REAAALLY bad and we were far from any members of trust. But on the mission I have lost any ability to be embarrassed about anything. So we were knocking apartments and there was a door open. I poked my head in and asked if I could use their bathroom. The lady, Karen, was very nice and let me in. While doing my business she talked with my companion and her husband came home from work. We foudn that he is a less active member and she isnt a member and we taught about the atonement and he, Hector, cried. It was AMAZING! 

Tuesday we did service. He is the best friend of the Relief society presidents husband. (yeah, confusing) But we  offered our help one day and he said yes. As we were helping him out in his field he´s like ¨So tell me how your church started!¨ And so we taught the restoration while working in the field. He invited us for once and we taught his wife as well. THankfully all our appointments had fallen through so we had time to be with them.

Wednesday we were contacting some Evangelicos. (pesados!) And they didnt want anything to do with us so I asked if they knew someone who wanted to hear our message. They said maybe their neighbor. So we knocked the door and found Jacqueline. As we asked her if she was happy she told us no and we shared the Book of Mormon with her. She told me that when I spoke she felt peace. She told me I had light inside.

Yeah, we had many miracles. The end of the week we walked a lot. :)
Also, I have been out for 10 months now! What the crazy!
 
My Comp and I have been playing this game in the street. Like human darts. Only with Plants. hehe

I love you all SO much! Olay!
10 Months down!
Hermana Kelson

leah.kjeldsen@myldsmail.net


Hermana Leah Kelson
4 Norte 1112 Casilla 631 
Viña del Mar, Chile

Monday, August 15, 2016

Chilean Flare

Dearest Gente
I love you all. Really truly I do. Thank you for your prayers and support. I can feel it. And thank you for not forgetting that I exist even though I have passed the halfway mark. Jaja.
This week we had a few adventures and a few miracles and a few disappointments.
First of all, we had a ward activity this week that was a cultural activity and I saw the National Dance of Chile (Cueca) for the first time live. Also, there were a few brothers who sang typical chilean songs that dedicated one to me! The gringa missionary. It was a song about leaving your heart in Chile and they changed some of the words. So sweet!
We also had a roadtrip this week, Hermana Ovalle and I, for a few hours. My companion had a baptism from her last ward that we had permission to go see.So we went and it was super fun!
This week we put 3 baptismal dates. We had one with Maryte who went with us to the ward activity. She has met with missionaries many times but doesnt want to be baptized in our ward. As we were at the activity she turned to us and said, ¨YOu know what? I want to be baptized here.¨ We were extatic!
We also haev been meeting a lot with Laura and put a baptismal date. She has a really tough life and is wiling to change but isnt always willing to make the necessary changes. I think we are all like that a little bit.
But the disappointment was that none of our investigators came to church even though we went looking for them before church and everything. I was a little bit bummed. . . or a lotta bit.
One thing I have realized more than ever this week is that when Jesus Christ came to the earth He didnt say ¨Come to me all you healthy, normal, capable people without problems who dont need help.¨ NOT AT ALL! He said Come Unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden. He asked all the afflicted, hurt, broken, sick people in need of help to come to Him. Sometimes we are like, ¨Oh no, I am not worthy to go to Him, I am too broken or too sick or I need too much help.¨But THAT is the exact reason why He came! Sometimes I am like, ¨Why arent there normal people who are interested in the gospel?¨ But then I realize that is not why I am here. I am HIS representative and He asked for those who need His help. The gospel isnt for the perfect people. Its for the imperfect.
I love you all dearly! Love your guts! Say your prayers!
Hermana Leah Kelson
leah.kjeldsen@myldsmail.net

Hermana Leah Kelson
4 Norte 1112 Casilla 631 
Viña del Mar, Chile






Monday, August 8, 2016

Leave the 90 and 9

Hola Todos!

What a week! First of all, I got my last rabies shot. I wont be trying to chase my tail now. Jaja. Just kidding. Also, that moment when your neighbor is playing all the pop songs that your high school Spanish teacher had you learn. Thank you Miss K! Oh! And the lice is under control now. Jaja. 

I have a new companion! Due to an emergency transfer I am now with Hermana Ovalle! She is AMAMAZING! She is Chileana too. Her mission is actually in Washington DC north but is waiting for her visa. She leaves at the end of August. She is funny and a hard worker and we have seen miracles together! What a blessing she is in my life!

This week I learned that sometimes we must leave the 90 and 9 and go after the 1. That is what the Savior did. Sometimes you dont get to all your visiting teaching lessons because you listen to one of your sisters cry and help comfort her. Sometimes you dont go to the ward activity because your child needs some one on one time with you. Sometimes you dont end up listening to the talks in sacrament meeting because you talk with the less active member in the foyer who doesnt want to enter the chapel. The gospel is about LOVE. And love is selfless and timeless. 

This week we invited Javier to be baptized and he said yes! He has made some changes in his life this week and is really motivated! We had a noche de hogar ( FHE) with one of our favorite families: Familia Sandoval. He really liked it and so did we. 

We also taught Laura. She has a tough life. A mom of 2 and 25 years old. She really wants to change too and has been trying to quite using drugs. We taught the Word of Wisdom and she has a baptizmal date for the 28 th of August. WOOT!

I have been reading in Alma this week. I love Alma and the advice he gives to his sons. The part I love most is his conversion story. Alma was the son of a prophet. But quite rebellious. He became truly converted when he experienced repentance. We become truly converted when we learn how to repent, be humble, and serve others. 

I love you all dearly! Thank you for your encouragement, prayers, and hope. They have helped me more than you will ever know.
Olay!

Hermana Leah Kelson

leah.kjeldsen@myldsmail.net

Hermana Leah Kelson
4 Norte 1112 Casilla 631 
Viña del Mar, Chile


Monday, August 1, 2016

Lice Lice Baby

Hola Todos!

What a week to learn! I have learned that when we think it cant get any harder, Heavenly Father sends us more challenges. Haha. What a sense of humor! But you know what? I am SO grateful for challenges and for ways to learn and grow!

I got lice this week. But thanks to the fact that I had it when I was little i knew the signs and caught it early. I have used the strangest things in my hair this week.

This week we had a little miracle. But I dont think any miracle is little so it was a big one. We found a Menos Activa this week. In the morning this Menos Activa was saying to her neighbor that no one had come to visit her and that she felt lost. That same day as we passed by I had the impression to pass for a different Menos Activo family and remembered that a member had told us about this Menos Activa: Marcela. We knocked her door and she came out and told us she had been waiting for us and immediately let us in. We taught her lessons 1, 2, and 3 this week and she came to church. She wants to go through the temple and wants her husband to get baptized. IT IS A MIRACLE!

Also this week I have helped a lot with the ward choir. There isnt a pianist in this ward either so I play every sunday. The ward choir director was super excited when I arrived. I have been writing harmonies, writing piano and choral arrangements all week long. It brings back many good memories. And the Lord is definitely helping me use my talents.

Thank you all for your love and prayers. I love you all dearly!

Huge shout out to my sister Kate who will turn 17 this week and to my brother Seth who will be turning 15! Go give them a big hug for me!

All my love!
Hermana Leah Kelson

leah.kjeldsen@myldsmail.net

Hermana Leah Kelson
4 Norte 1112 Casilla 631 
Viña del Mar, Chile